International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS) – Volume-2, Issue-9, September 2016

ISSN: 2395-3470
www.ijseas.com

TECHNICAL REPORT ON STEP BY STEP INSTALLATION OF SOLAR ENERGY

AND ITS MAINTENANCE
Alumona T.L,1, Okafor E.C 2, Ossai C. U 3, Ukoh P.A 4
P P P P P P P

1,2,3; Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
3 Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Delta State polytechnic Ozoro , Delta Sate
4 Digital Dream limited New haven Enugu State

ABSTRACT fast exhaustion of the fossil fuel reserves

like in Nigeria where our source of energy is
This technical paper describes solar energy from natural gas and water [1] . There has
and Its Maintenance. Solar Energy is refers been general outcry against lack of constant
to as the energy from the sun; the conversion power supply to help our industries and
of the sunlight into electricity gives you home appliances. This has brought about the
Solar power. It allows any user with urgent need to explore other means of power
necessary receiving components to receive generation such as solar energy. Research
the sun for its utilization by using has been into the development of reliable
photovoltaic (PV). Photovoltaic convert and strong systems to harness energy from
light into an electric current and this current nonconventional energy resources. Solar
can be converted into alternating current power source have experienced a
(AC) using an inverter and also stored using tremendous rapid growth in the past ten
a well arranged batteries for use in homes years and is Pollution free source of
for illumination and for appliances at home. abundant power. This paper lists the basic
This technical paper will discuss in details components needed for installation of solar
the necessary steps to be taken for proper energy at homes; this includes the solar
installation and maintenance of solar energy. panels (PV modules), Charge controller,
Key words: Battery, Inverter, Connecting wires. [2]

Solar module/PV, battery, charge controller, 2.0 COMPONENTS OF A SOLAR

inverter and installation. POWER

1.0 INTRODUCTION Solar design and installation is absolute easy

thing one can do but with proper knowledge,
Solar energy in recent years has attracted training and skill with some money to
more attention to people due to inefficiency purchase the equipments. Some of the
and unavailability of power for different use components you need for installation of
in homes and industries. It is a well known solar energy are listed below:
fact that the world is facing a major threat of
 Solar system
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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS) – Volume-2, Issue-9, September 2016
ISSN: 2395-3470
www.ijseas.com

 Solar panels (photovoltaic PV modules) called photovoltaic effect. The Devices

 Charge controller based on this effect is called photovoltaic
 Battery device.
 Inverter
 connecting wires The solar panel converts the solar energy
 Appliances (like Bulb, TV, Fan etc) (energy from the sun) to electricity which
charges the battery. For more effective use,
more than one solar panel are electrically
connected to form array for the purpose of
collecting a good amount of sun to charge
1) The Solar system
the battery which will be capable of
Solar System can be defined as supplying a home the amount of electricity
the Sun and everything that orbits the Sun needed. Solar panel connections are done in
which also include the planets and their two different ways for efficient useful
satellites. It can also be called a group of work.[4]
celestial bodies orbiting another star. In this
paper, solar system refers to the system that The two ways of connecting solar PV are as
includes Earth and the Sun. Solar energy is follows:
the energy from the sun. It comes to us in  Series connections.
form of light and heat. Nigeria receives  Parallel connections.
about 4.851 X 1012 KWh of energy from sun
P P

daily, 1.804 X 1015 KWh annually and the

P P
2.1) Series connection
country has average solar insolation of about
P P

Series connection simply is connecting solar

5.535KWh/m2/day which will effectively be
P P

panel positive terminals to negative

used for solar power installation, and will
terminals of another. It gives output voltage
bring about total change in power system
equals the sum total of the voltage of the
failure in the country.[3]
entire module in the string and the output
2) Solar panels (photovoltaic PV current equals the equivalent of the current
modules) for a single solar. In series connection all the
currents are equal while the voltages are the
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell can be sum of individual voltages.
defined as a device that converts light
directly into electricity by the photovoltaic
effect. Solar Photovoltaic systems generate
electricity directly using sunlight. Solar
thermal systems actively or passively
collect, transport, and utilize solar energy to
generate heat. The generation of voltage
across the p-n junction in a semiconductor
due to the absorption of light radiation is

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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS) – Volume-2, Issue-9, September 2016
ISSN: 2395-3470
www.ijseas.com

Fig 1a: Series connection of solar module

By Series connecting, the voltage equals the Fig 1b: Parallel connection of solar
sum of those panels, being in series, the module
amperage is equal.[4]
By parallel connected solar panel gives more
2.2) Parallel connection current (amperage) the sum of individual
currents, the voltage is equals.[4]
Parallel connection simply is connecting the
solar panel positive terminals to positive 3) Charge Controller
terminals of next and negative terminals to
negative terminals of next. When using this Charge controller ensures is used to charge
type of connection, your voltage remains the your batteries, it ensures that the battery is
same but your amperage is the total sum of not over-charged or over-discharged; it stops
the panels being used. That is to say, it gives receiving from the solar panel when the
output voltage equals the equivalent voltage battery is fully charged and switches off
of a single solar panel in the string and the every DC load connected to it when the
output current equals the sum total of all the battery is discharged to the minimum level.
current of the solar panel in the string. These charge controllers regulate the
charging of your batteries because they are
programmed. The quality of these programs
determines the lifespan of your batteries.
This is the reason only quality charge
controllers should be used, because batteries
are the most expensive part of any solar
system installation. DC loads are taken
directly from the charge controller. The
procedure for selecting Charge controller is
by determining the operating voltage of the
PV array and the current, i.e. the charge

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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS) – Volume-2, Issue-9, September 2016
ISSN: 2395-3470
www.ijseas.com

controller must be sized to handle maximum An inverter is device that changes direct
current and voltage produced by the solar current (DC) from the battery to alternating
PV array.[5] current (AC) to be used for AC appliances.
The battery provides DC voltage to the
4) Battery inverter, and the inverter converts the DC
Battery stores the electrical charge produced voltage to normal AC voltage. The output of
by the solar panel during the day. It helps a solar PV system can be either DC or AC
the output of the solar panel when it cannot depending on the type of electrical load it is
supply enough electricity to the system. meant to power. If it is used to power a DC
Batteries are a major cost of any solar load, then there is no need for an inverter.
system and are the most friable component However inverter is required when the
in the solar system. Battery should have electrical load is AC. One can choose to go
sufficient Amp hour storage to supply the for solar inverter; solar inverters have some
needed power during the cloudy weather. special functions with the photovoltaic
Batteries can be either shallow cycle arrays like maximum power point tracking
discharge (for automobiles) or deep cycle and anti-islanding protection. There are two
discharge (for PV system). types of inverters which include modified
sine wave and pure sine wave inverters.
A shallow-cycle batteries discharge only Note: the size of the inverter should be
between 10% and 20% of their Ah around three times what you plan to use it
capacity/day discharging beyond this point for, this is because the consumer products do
without recharging shortens the battery life. not always use the best components and this
is a way to ensure your unit will last longer
Deep-cycle batteries are designed to allow a
than when you purchase an undervalued unit
discharge of 60% to 80% of its Ah capacity.
and push it to burn out.
A battery discharged at a rate of 1 amp will
Before you buy an inverter you need to take
have a higher Ah capacity than a battery
cognizes of the following:
discharged at a rate of 4 amps. A battery
which can deliver 1 amp for 100 hours has i. The maximum load; the rating is
a capacity of 100Ah @ C100. The same larger than wattage of all the ac loads
battery may only deliver 4 amps for 20 to be run at any one time
hours. Then its capacity is 80Ah @ C20. ii. The maximum surge; Inverter is
C100 means discharged over 100 hours, designed to surge if motors will be
C20 means discharged over 20 hours. connected.
Batteries are connected in series and iii. The output voltage
parallel.[6] iv. The input battery voltage
requirements[7]
5) Inverter
6) Connecting Wires
This is what will turn the 12 volt DC current
into 110-120 volts AC current for use in
powering your household electrical devices.
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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS) – Volume-2, Issue-9, September 2016
ISSN: 2395-3470
www.ijseas.com

They are used to connect one component to mounting is east front and slope of 30-
the other. The generated electricity (electric 40o.[8]
P P

current) flows through them to the load. The 2. Charge controller: The next thing to do
recommended size of cables is 2.5mm. after the setting up the solar PV array is
to connect the charge controller (which
3.0 THE STEP BY STEP you know is to ensure that the battery is
INSTALLATION OF SOLAR not over-charged or over-discharged)
ENERGY directly from the output terminals of the
Solar power plant installation is very easy. solar PV using lighter gage wires. Note:
But before the actual work begins, the most DC loads can be directly connected to the
important issues that you must have done charge controller. After the connection,
are to know the total electricity consumption we move to next step which is connecting
for the household, this can be done by taking the battery.[4]
a physical view of all the appliances to 3. Battery: The batteries are properly
check their power ratings to know the connected either in series or parallel
capacity of all the system components and connection depending on your need, and
the total number of panels, batteries and the then connect the battery to the charge
capacity of charge controller and the controller at the port selected/indicated
appropriate inverter needed. Now the for it in solar charge controller. The next
components are conveyed to the site a day thing to connect is the inverter.[4]
before the actual installation. The stages in 4. Inverter: The next setup is the inverter,
the installation include as we discussed above the inverter
converts the DC supply from the solar PV
1. Arrange the photovoltaic PV modules: into the battery to AC supply in order to
After bringing out the PV with the ratings power our AC loads. Connect the battery
behind the panel, the information you will terminal to the inverter with 2.5mm
see is the maximum wattage, voltage, and cable. Finally, from the inverter you
amperes. After that, wire the panel connect to the external load in the house.
according to the required need but I The rating of the inverter should be the
prefer the parallel connection (the same with rating of the PV array.[4]
voltages remain the same while the
currents is added). Then mount the PV on 4.0 MAINTENANCE OF SOLAR PV
the rooftop of the building with a few SYSTEMS
inch gap and parallel to the surface of the Solar panels have no moving parts, and
roof. Solar PV can also be mounted on therefore no potential points of mechanical
the ground. The solar array is usually best failure. Therefore properly installed PV
placed in perpendicular to the sun’s rays, system requires very little maintenance.
which change continuously over the After the installation of solar system for
course of the day and season. The most household use, best maintenance practice is
suitably location and inclination for a PV to inspect the equipment especially batteries
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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS) – Volume-2, Issue-9, September 2016
ISSN: 2395-3470
www.ijseas.com

and modules, to make sure all electrical tops. Charge controller can go badly if the
contacts are tight. We can keep the solar PV battery bank capacity is not up to the rate.[9]
operational through two maintenance
techniques which include the preventive and 4) Some of the general
corrective maintenance. Let us look at precaution/maintenance to be carried
maintenance of the different components of on the system include:
the solar system which include:
4.1) observe the tightness of screws on all
1. Solar PV Maintenance connector strips, controls; switches, etc.
You should wash the PV array, during the make sure that they are well chewed. This is
cool of the day, when there is a noticeable mostly important for old or exposed wire.
buildup of dust and dirt. Periodically inspect
the system to make sure all wirings and 4.2) look at the junction boxes to make sure
supports are intact. Furthermore, check for that insects have not build house there, and
tree growth that has shaded your modules also make sure they are watertight when
and also check for birds’ nests in your exposed to the environment.
modules and junction boxes. Review the 4.3) inspect switches to make sure they are
output of the system annually (assuming the in good operating manner
array is clean) to see if the performance of
the system is close to the previous year's 4.4) inspect the fuses to ensure no one is
reading. Do not scratch the glass casing of blown. If blown, find the cause and replace
the module.[9] or repair with a new one of the same size.

2. Battery Maintenance 4.5) inspect the indicator lamps on the

Battery is very important component in the charge controller. The solar charge
solar system; therefore proper care should be controller indicator should be ON when the
taken. For long life, battery should be sun is up. If is not ON. Check to see if
cleaned monthly; the electrolyte level should batteries are being charged. Check whether
be checked and kept in a high state of the other LED indicator lamps are working
charge. When cleaning batteries, beware of (that is battery full and low voltage).
the battery acid and do not short the
4.6) Check grounding wires to make sure
terminals. Carry the battery outside when
they are still intact.[9]
cleaning to avoid spilling acid, keep plenty
of water nearby to rinse spills.[9] 5.0 CONCLUSION
3. Charge controller malfunction In the present work a Solar PV Energy
Charge controller will be will go bad if the System was implemented. A portion of the
battery voltage exceeds the appropriate set energy requirement for a private house, farm
voltage for the type of battery used, and also house, a small company, an educational
the batteries are bubbling severely causing a institution depending on the need at the site
lot of moisture accumulation on the battery where used has been supplied with the

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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS) – Volume-2, Issue-9, September 2016
ISSN: 2395-3470
www.ijseas.com

electricity generated from the solar power. It [8] Wikipedia Inc “Photovoltaic Mounting
reduces the dependence on one single source System “available [Online]
and has increased the reliability. Apparently, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/photovoltaic
30TU U30T

we can improve the efficiency of the system mounting system

with an individual interest mode of
generation. Photovoltaic systems are cost- [9] Nwanya Assumpta C. (2015) “Solar PV
effective, pollution-free and maintenance- installation and maintenance” National
free. They could be deployed in remote Centre for Energy Research and
locations where conventional power is not Development, University of Nigeria Nsukka
readily available.

REFERENCES

[1] Wikipedia Inc. “Solar Power” Available

[Online]:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/solarpower
30TU U30T

[2]J.Godson,M.Karthick,T.Muthukrishnan,
M.S.Sivagamasundari “Solar PV-Wind
Hybrid Power Generation System”
Department of EEE,V V College of
Engineering,Tisaiyanvilai, Tirunelveli, India

[3] Microsoft Encarta 2009 ”Solar system”

Microsoft Corporation 1993-2008.

[4] Engr. Eze D.I (May 2015) “Solar and

Renewable Energy” NAPSAS/NAPTIN
Training Manuel Module One

[5] “How to Build an Off Grid Solar Power

Plant” By webmaster@6lpie.com
30TU U30T

[6] Nwanya A.C. (May 2015) “Solar PV

Installation and Maintenance” Lecture
Material NAPSAS Training Programme

[7] Wikipedia Inc “Power Inverter“available

[Online]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/power_invert
30TU

er U30T

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